List of universities in Sri Lanka

This is a list of universities in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, the university education is strictly controlled by the government until recently. All the degree-granting universities and most degree-granting institutes in are still government-owned or -funded. However autonomous in theory, only a very few institutes are truly autonomous.

These higher education institutions can be classified under 3 categories. They are:

• State owned universities and institutes
• Privately owned, degree granting institutes affiliated with foreign universities
• Privately owned institutes that are conducting classes for degrees granted by foreign universities

Most of the state universities depend on funds given by the University Grants Commission (UGC), as it is their primary and sometimes only source of funding. Therefore the UGC has a great influence over these universities and administer the undergraduate intake. There are 16 such universities (15 under UGC, 1 under Ministry of Defence) and 3 campuses (all uder UGC). The UGC is an institution of the Ministry of Higher Education.

A few other private owned institutes exist which function interdependently. Government has a stake in some of these institutions. The most prominent, is the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), which comes under the Ministry of Science & Technology.^[1] The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University was a similar institute but has since been classed as a State University.

State universities and institutions

Initially there was only one university in Sri Lanka. Established in 1942, University of Ceylon had several campuses islandwide, Colombo (established 1942), Peradeniya (established 1949), Vidyodaya (established 1959), Vidyalankara (established 1959) and Katubedda (established 1972). It was dissolved in 1972 to establish the University of Sri Lanka. Jaffna campus was added to the university in 1974. With the promulgation of the Universities Act. No 16 of 1978, university status was restored to the 6 separate campuses. University Grants Commission (UGC) was also created to plan and coordinate the university education. After that, a number of universities have been created. All these universities are registered under the University Grants Commission, but a few come under the auspices of ministries other than the Ministry of Higher Education, in which the UGC is a part of.

University Grants Commission

15 universities and 3 campuses come directly under the authority of University Grants Commission. They are:

• University of Colombo (Western Province)
  • Sri Palee Campus
• University of Peradeniya (Central Province)
• University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Western Province)
• University of Kelaniya (Western Province)
• University of Moratuwa (Western Province)
• University of Jaffna (Northern Province)
  • Vavuniya Campus
• University of Ruhuna (Southern Province)
• Open University, Sri Lanka (Western Province)
• Eastern University, Sri Lanka (Eastern Province)
  • Trincomalee Campus
• South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Oluvil (Eastern Province)
• Rajarata University (North Central Province)
• Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (Sabaragamuwa Province)
• Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya and Makandura (North Western Province)
• University of the Visual & Performing Arts (Western Province)
• Uva Wellassa University (Uva Province)

Ministry of Education

Ministry of Education has the authority over these institutions.

• Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, Homagama (Western Province)
• Buddhasravaka Bhiksu University, Anuradhapura (North Central Province)

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence has the authority over this institution. It was elevated to University status by the amendment Act No. 27 of 1988.

• General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana (Western Province)

Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training

Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training has the authority over this institution.

• University of Vocational Technology, Ratmalana (Western Province)^[2]

Public autonomous institutes

Affiliated university is included within brackets. No affiliation indicates that the institution comes directly under the UGC.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate

• Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology^[1]
• University of Colombo School of Computing (University of Colombo)
• Institute of Indigenous Medicine (University of Colombo)
• Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute (University of Kelaniya)

Postgraduate

• Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration, Colombo
• Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (University of Colombo)
• Postgraduate Institute of Science (University of Peradeniya)
• Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (University of Peradeniya)
• Postgraduate Institute of Management (University of Sri Jayewardenepura)
• Postgraduate Institute of Pali & Buddhist Studies (University of Kelaniya)
• Postgraduate Institute of Archeology (University of Kelaniya)
• Postgraduate Institute of English (University of Colombo)

Undergraduate

• Institute of Surveying and Mapping (Established under the Act No. 21 of 1969)
• National Institute of Social Development (Established under the NISD Act, No. 41 of 1992)^[3]
• National Institute of Business Management (Established under the NIBM Act, No. 23 of 1976)^[4]
• Ocean university of Sri Lanka (Established under the Act No. 36 of 1999)
• South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine

Research

• Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy (This institute does not come under the UGC. Instead it is administered by a board of governors.)

Other

• Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (University of Colombo)
• National Centre for Advanced Studies in Humanities & Social Sciences, Colombo
• Institute of Technology (University of Moratuwa)
• Institute of Human Resource Advancement (University of Colombo)
• Swamy Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, Batticaloa (Eastern University, Sri Lanka)
• National Institute of Library and Information Science (University of Colombo)
• Institute for Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences, Hambantota (University of Colombo)

Private institutions affiliated with foreign universities

These institutions have the authority to award degrees. But at the same time, they are affiliated with universities abroad.

• Institute of Technological Studies (Incorporated under the Companies Act)
• Aquinas University College, Colombo (Registered with the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of Sri lanka in 1954)^[3]

Private institutes conducting programs for foreign university degrees

• South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine, Malabe (Established under the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007)
• Royal Institute of Colombo
• International College of Business & Technology (7 campuses)
• Australian College of Business and Technology (2 campuses)

Professional bodies

• BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (A professional qualification recognized as an entry qualification for postgraduate degrees)
• Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (A professional qualification recognized as an entry qualification for postgraduate degrees)

See also

• Education in Sri Lanka
• List of colleges and universities by country
• List of colleges and universities

References